I give up.  I can no longer travel with children and stay in a regular hotel room.  I need a kitchen.  To save money on meals, to warm milk at 2am and to stop hunger melt downs that appear without warning. 

We were planning a weekend trip to San Diego to visit the Gaslamp Quarter in Downtown San Diego as we had heard it is full of fantastic shopping, restaurants and special events.  Of course right in the middle of this entertainment area is the perfect hotel with kitchens in every room: The San Diego Marriott's Residence Inn.  We didn't hesitate booking a room at this hotel and what we experienced was so accommodating, I just had to share.

Here is why I love  the San Diego Marriott Residence Inn:

1)  Location.  The San Diego Marriott Residence Inn is in the middle of everything, the perfect place to call home as you explore San Diego or the Gaslamp Quarter.

2)  The Rooms.  Picking the right hotel is all about the bed.  With Marriott, you will never be wrong.  Their beds are so inviting, when you walk into the room, you almost can't wait to go to sleep!

3)   Free Breakfast.  Not only do you get free breakfast for the whole family included with your stay, but besides the scrumptious eggs, two kinds of potatoes, four kinds of toast, four kinds of muffins, four kinds of cereal, milk, and juice, they have two fabulous make-it-yourself waffle maker machines that had my kids begging for more.  They even have yummy toppings to make you giggle like a child: chocolate chips, blueberries, strawberries, whip crème and for the can't-try-anything-new people, they have syrup. 

4)  Manager's Toast. Stay in the hotel Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and enjoy complimentary appetizers, snacks and light refreshments from 5 to 6:30pm.  If you need something stronger, the San Diego Marriott Residence Inn has a bar with dinner and a 5 to 7 happy hour!  The furniture is hip and cool with the whole bar area opening up to a street side patio where you can sit and people watch for hours. 

Bottom Line:  Did you know all the Marriott Residence Inn's offer a free grocery service?  Just give your grocery list to the front desk (they'll even shop with your coupons) and the staff will not only bring back your items, they will even put them away in your kitchen.  Your room is charged only for the purchases service cost to you is Zero.  It's The Marriott Residence Inn's free service to their guests.  

Bottom-Bottom Line:  In your room is also free popcorn to cook in your microwave.  Not that big of a deal to adults, but to that kid who is relaxing in front of a movie…you will be known as "hero."  And when a hotel can make a parent look good to their kids, that's a hotel you have to re-visit.